Pausanias Analysis

Passage 8.47.3

← 8.47.2 8.47.4 →

Passage 8.47.3: Altar of Athena with Rhea and Oinoe holding the infant Zeus.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ταύτης μὲν δὴ ποιησόμεθα καὶ ὕστερον μνήμην· ἱερᾶται δὲ τῇ Ἀθηνᾷ παῖς χρόνον οὐκ οἶδα ὅσον τινά, πρὶν δὲ ἡβάσκειν καὶ οὐ πρόσω, τὴν ἱερωσύνην. τῇ θεῷ δὲ ποιηθῆναι τὸν βωμὸν ὑπὸ Μελάμποδος τοῦ Ἀμυθάονος λέγουσιν· εἰργασμέναι δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ βωμῷ Ῥέα μὲν καὶ Οἰνόη νύμφη παῖδα ἔτι νήπιον Δία ἔχουσιν, ἑκατέρωθεν δέ εἰσι τέσσαρες ἀριθμόν, Γλαύκη καὶ Νέδα καὶ Θεισόα καὶ Ἀνθρακία, τῇ δὲ Ἴδη καὶ Ἁγνὼ καὶ Ἀλκινόη τε καὶ Φρίξα. πεποίηται δὲ καὶ Μουσῶν καὶ Μνημοσύνης ἀγάλματα.

English Translation

Of this matter we shall speak again later. A girl serves as priestess to Athena for a period whose precise duration I cannot say, but only until she reaches puberty and no longer. They say the altar to the goddess was constructed by Melampus, the son of Amythaon. Upon the altar there are sculpted figures of Rhea and the nymph Oinoe holding the infant Zeus, still a child, and on either side of them are four additional figures. On one side, these are Glauke, Neda, Thisoa, and Anthrakia; while on the other, Ide, Hagno, Alkinoe, and Phrixa. There are also statues of the Muses and Mnemosyne.

Proper Nouns

Glauke (Γλαύκη) deity
Zeus (Ζεύς) deity
Theisoa (Θεισόα) deity
Also in: 8.38.3
Mnemosyne (Μνημοσύνη) deity
Muses (Μοῦσαι) deity
Neda (Νέδα) deity
Also in: 8.31.4 8.38.3
Oinoe (Οἰνόη) deity
Phrixa (Φρίξα) deity
Athena (Ἀθηνᾶ) deity
Alkinoe (Ἀλκινόη) deity
Anthrakia (Ἀνθρακία) deity
Also in: 8.31.4
Hagnō (Ἁγνώ) deity
Also in: 8.31.4
Ida (Ἴδη) deity
Rhea (Ῥέα) deity
Melampus (Μελάμπους) person
Amythaon (Ἀμυθάων) person
← 8.47.2 8.47.4 →